


can we take it to the next level (baby, do you dare)

by tentatively



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Emotionally Constipated Arthur, Getting Together, Jealous Arthur, M/M, Modern Era, Modern Setting, Sassy Merlin, and merlin too, and there's a whole lot of angst, and they have this argument which is supposed to be angsty but everytime i read it, fluff fluff fluff, it gets funnier, jealous smut, so yeah there's smut, they're both so emotionally constipated in this its hilarious, they're law students, this is your fwb-turned-into-lovers story, top!arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:07:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23580577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tentatively/pseuds/tentatively
Summary: Merlin and Arthur are fuck buddies who are disgustingly in love with each other but cannot seem to find their way around to say it.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 286





	can we take it to the next level (baby, do you dare)

**Author's Note:**

> they're so emotionally constipated guys, its fucking amusing

Arthur rolled onto Merlin’s side where the latter was currently rummaging through the case files that their professor had asked him to look into. “Come on, Merlin, one more round. You can’t say you don’t want to.”

“I do, Arthur, if that’s any consolation,” Merlin rolled his eyes, gaze fixed on the files. “But Professor Bowden will quite literally kill me if I don’t find anything from these files that may help our case.”

Arthur made a small whiny noise, reluctantly sitting up. “Here, let me help you.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. He then shook his head, smiling. “You just don’t want to go home tonight, don’t you? Pressing your chances so that I perhaps let you slip your cock into my arse again.”

Arthur chuckled nervously, his gut twisting a little at the remark. “No, I just wanted to help you, Merls,” he mumbled, feeling a little dejected. Honestly, that was the truth. To Arthur, Merlin wasn’t just someone he called up when he wanted to fuck. Though, he thought, that was perhaps a mistake, considering whatever they had going on was strictly _just_ sex, without feelings or attachments.

“Oh, no, its alright,” Merlin said, waving his hand dismissively. “I can use all the help I can get, anyway.”

“What were you doing yesterday, anyway?” Arthur asked, restless to replace the unsettling feeling in his chest.

“Don’t ask,” Merlin sighed. “My father was in the city. So of fucking course, he had to invite the entire family to dinner no matter what prior engagements one may have had.”

“Yes, but you didn’t have any prior engagements?” Arthur nudged his arm. “Come on, you give your dad too hard a time.”

Merlin narrowed his gaze. “Trust me, Arthur,” he began. “It gets tiring letting someone else control your life, decide everything for you. It get tiring and fucking annoying.”

“I wonder what your father would say if he’d know about us,” Arthur said, immediately regretting his choice of words. Nevertheless, he maintained a nonchalant expression on his face.

Merlin laughed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t even think about it, Pendragon.”

Arthur pursed his lips and without a further word began searching through the files. Merlin’s prompt reply to the prospect of introducing him to Balinor made his heart sink. Merlin, probably having noticed his slight shift in demeanour, nudged him but Arthur just smiled and shook his head. He wasn’t supposed to entangle himself so emotionally, after all.

* * *

Morgana had already arrived at Professor Bowden’s apartment by the time Merlin and Arthur were there. Morgana sent his brother a devilish smirk seeing him enter with Merlin to which the blonde simply shrugged his shoulders. Before she could pass any remark, however, Professor Bowden was heard coming down. “Merlin, did you find anything incriminating on Mr. Thompson?”

“Yes, Professor Bowden, I have,” he beamed, showing her the results of his and Arthur’s late night digging. Gwen, along with Lancelot entered through the front door, carrying their files in hand.

Miss Bowden explained their defence based on their cumulative findings and informed them of their time of arrival to the court the following day. “This isn’t as easy as it seems, though,” she warned. “Watch and learn. You’ll soon be fighting cases yourself.”

With that, they were off for that day. “So,” Morgana began, and Arthur almost immediately protested. “You spent the night at Merlin’s.”

“Yes,” Arthur replied, keeping his gaze fixed on anything but his sister’s questioning eyes.

“Please, Arthur,” Morgana wrung his hand and turned his face towards her. “What is this fucked up friends with benefits thing that you and Merlin have going on?”

“Why is it fucked up, you say?” Arthur very casually asked, but he was not fooling anyone, especially not Morgana.

“It is fucked up because you like him,” Morgana stated. “And he likes you, too. It is pathetic to see the two of you in denial.”

“You’re delusional if you think Merlin actually likes me,” Arthur shook his head, opening the door of their car to let Morgana in.

* * *

The next day, at court, Lancelot, Gwen, Arthur, Morgana and Professor Bowden were kept waiting for a good fifteen minutes for Merlin, who came running, out of breath, hair uncombed and buttons haphazardly done. “I’m so fucking sorry,” he apologized, but Bowden took the necessary file from him and walked straight into the courtroom. “I don’t want your lousy excuses, Emrys,” Bowden threw back. Merlin swallowed nervously.

“What happened?” Arthur softly asked, before they got seated.

“My father called late last night,” Merlin said in between uneven breaths. “Got on my fucking nerves.”

“Why?”

 _“You’re the son of a Minister, Merlin Emrys. I do not expect you to be anything less than the best in your class,”_ Merlin quoted sarcastically. “What does he want from me, Arthur?”

“But you are the best,” Arthur argued back, gently squeezing Merlin’s hands.

“According to him, I must maintain this... _this fucking margin_ by which I must remain ahead of everyone else in class,” Merlin ranted, leaning onto Arthur, letting the broader male comfort him.

“He’s expecting you to be this superhuman, Merlin,” Arthur said, his thumb rubbing over Merlin’s fingers soothingly. “That’s not right of him. You get to be you.”

“Well, apparently, I don’t,” Merlin retorted, their focuses shifting on the session that had just begun.

During the break (after Professor Bowden already half slaughtered the prosecuting authority), Lancelot suddenly said, “Oh, Merlin, I saw you the other day. With your father?”

“Two days ago?” Merlin reluctantly addressed. “Yes, he was in the city, so.”

“Who was that boy?” Lancelot teasingly asked. “Brown hair, sharp face, I think?”

“He is no one,” Merlin dismissed it immediately. “My father’s colleague’s son, I believe. I’ve told my father to stop playing matchmaker, but he’s not one to listen.”

Arthur stiffened. His heart lurched at the realization that Merlin hadn’t mentioned it to him. “But you seemed _very friendly_ ,” Lancelot went on.

“What were you doing, Lance?” Merlin asked, laughing. “Stalking me?”

“No, I was just passing by. I thought I’d say hi but you seemed rather preoccupied,” Lance said.

“To answer your question, Tommy is quite a nice guy,” Merlin said, smiling, though trying to sound languid. “He’s funny and he’s rather smart.”

“So?” Gwen asked, chortling. “Are you considering dating him?”

Arthur almost bit back an urge to clutch the hem of his clothes tightly, fighting the hollowness of his heart, the rising ache in his chest. “My father would be pleased,” Merlin snickered. “Which is precisely why I won’t.”

“But you do like him?” Gwen prodded. Gwen and Lancelot weren’t aware that Merlin and Arthur were ‘fuck buddies’ and definitely not aware that Arthur was in bloody love with Merlin.

“I don’t,” Merlin sincerely said, and he may have avertedly looked at Arthur. But Arthur may have imagined it.

After the break, when they were settling down for the next session, Arthur, perhaps against his better judgment, said, “You didn’t tell me about Tommy.”

Merlin was taken aback by the abrupt question. “Did I have to?” Merlin asked, looking a little unsure.

“Nevermind,” Arthur muttered, looking away. “Forget I ever said that.”

“Arthur, I didn’t think you expected me to tell you?” Merlin said, following Arthur’s gaze. He enjoined his fingers with Arthur’s and sent him a pleading look. Arthur didn’t remove Merlin’s hands because that would explicitly be showing him how much it had affected him.

“No, I didn’t,” Arthur quickly said. “Now let us focus on the case, yes?”

“Will you come over to my place tonight?” Merlin whispered, and Arthur could feel his breath on his cheeks.

“Maybe not tonight,” Arthur said, against every other force in his body that wanted otherwise. “I have a lot to study for this semester.”

“I can help you study,” Merlin persisted, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for Arthur to keep refusing him. “We can study together and then fuck.”

Arthur only sighed.

Once out of the courtroom, Arthur was in a hurry to leave, to avoid any sort of conversation with Merlin. But Merlin caught him before he could get into his car. “You’re coming tonight, right?” Merlin asked, with eyes so soft that all of Arthur’s defences crumbled before it.

“Alright, I’ll see,” Arthur merely said, but Merlin’s face lit up immediately. “No promises, though,” he quickly added.

“You’re coming,” Merlin warned, as he turned around to hop into his car.

* * *

Arthur went. Of course.

Arthur’s unexpressed jealousy found expression in their rough and messy fucking that night. Arthur pinned the thin-framed boy against the door after having slammed it shut, gnawing and chewing at the delicate skin of Merlin’s lips until his lower lip was distinctly swollen and red. Arthur’s mouth went down below, and after having softly grazed Merlin’s favourite spot on the neck with Arthur’s devious tongue, he allowed his teeth and lips to make a big, red mark. Merlin’s breathing was ragged against Arthur’s neck, and he crumpled Arthur’s shirt at the places his hands were grabbing the fabric. “You’re so horny tonight, what- _ah, ehm_ \- what the fuck was all that reluctance back at the courthouse today, then?”

“Shut _up_ ,” Arthur growled against Merlin’s collarbones, his hands hovering over Merlin’s naked chest, unapologetically pinching Merlin’s sensitive nipples, earning a shudder from the raven haired boy.

“Are you going to fuck me against this door tonight?” Merlin breathed out in between his gasps and moans. “That isn’t very sophisticated, is it?”

As soon as he said that, he was swept off the floor in a single motion by Arthur, whose lips were still locked on Merlin’s _bloody_ red ones. “You’re very needy tonight, Pendragon,” Merlin smirked, urgently ripping open the buttons of Arthur’s shirt. “What got you so riled up?”

 _You._ Arthur thought _. And everything about you._

“You talk too fucking much, don’t you?” Arthur said, plopping Merlin down on the bed inside, grabbing his hardening member from over his pants. Merlin made a low groan, clutching at the sheets. “Get inside me right now, will you?” Merlin demanded, eyes shut close.

Arthur unclothed him completely and using a little lube to allow swift lubrication, he slid his own cock inside Merlin’s tight arse. Merlin gritted his teeth at the sensation, letting the initial pain pass away. Arthur intertwined his hands with Merlin’s, allowing him to hold onto them. He peppered the gangly, beautiful boy with tender kisses, as he began to quicken his movements. His heart almost broke at the thought that Merlin wasn’t _his_ to love, that he didn’t possibly _care_ about Arthur.

Merlin was throwing his head left and right on the pillow, drawing sharp breaths, as he cursed and moaned out Arthur’s name. His breaths grew increasingly uneven and ragged, and the sounds escaping his lips urgent and incoherent. “I-I’m ‘onnna come,” Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, coming all over Arthur right then. His breaths were shallow, chest covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Arthur came inside Merlin with a loud groan, after which he plopped down on the spot beside Merlin.

After a comfortable moment of silence, Merlin spoke. “That was...intense,” Merlin admitted. “Whoa.”

“I’m always good in bed, Merlin,” Arthur playfully rolled his eyes. “Which is why you keep calling me every night, you posh little thing.

“I don’t like Tommy,” Merlin suddenly said, looking up at the ceiling. Arthur’s breath may have hitched at the mention of the guy.

Merlin looked like he was expecting Arthur to say something, so he did. “What care is it of mine?” he shrugged, passing Merlin a casual smile. “Except that if you start dating the said brunette guy, we’ll have to end our- our... _this thing_.” Arthur intentionally made it sound like he couldn’t care less even though everything inside him was falling apart, because that is how they had planned it, right?

“So you’ll leave me if you find a dateable guy?” Merlin asked back, and it quite sounded curt.

“Alright, where is this coming from?” Arthur said, raising his hands. “This was about you, not me. Moreover, I’m not even pointedly saying that you’re _not_ a dateable person, obviously. Its just that...we decided on being sex-only buddies, thus excluding each other from the paraphernalia of dating, you know?”

Merlin sat, looking irritated and a little restless. Arthur leaned onto Merlin, rubbing his nose against Merlin’s neck. “Come on, now. What is it? What did I do?”

“I’ll date Tommy, then,” Merlin said, very matter-of-factly, turning around to look at Arthur. Arthur’s face went pale, his mouth agape, not knowing what to say.

“So you basically want this to be over?” Arthur snapped, probably ruder than he meant for it to be. “You could have just directly said that instead of asking complicated questions.”

“Its my fault then?” Merlin demanded, standing up. Arthur shook his head, and putting on his shirt, prepared to leave.

“Well, you want to date Tommy,” Arthur said, narrowing his eyes. “I’m not saying its your fault. We are merely fuck buddies, after all. You can do whatever you want to.”

“Then, why are you so pissed off?” Merlin snapped again, and it was started get on Arthur’s nerves.

“I’m not.”

“Oh, hell yes, you are,” Merlin repeated, standing right beside Arthur, hands on his hips. “You’re not allowed to be pissed off when you so well dissected the nature of our relationship.”

“What the fuck do you even mean, Merlin?” Arthur asked, running a hand through his hair.

“You don’t care,” Merlin stated, gulping. “You just said that.”

“Yes, so?”

“So, why are you acting in such a way?”

“In what way?” Arthur whisper-shouted, clearly angry and worked up.

“Like you fucking _care_ about me,” Merlin answered, his eyes boring holes into Arthur. “Like I mean more to you than just the sex we have.”

“Merlin, really, what is your problem?” Arthur asked, glaring at him. “You want to date some fucking brunette, so go date him. Why are you putting this on me? How does it matter if I care or not? What we had was just sex, nothing more.”

“Yes, you said that,” Merlin retorted, grimacing.

“Yes, because,” Arthur looked at him incredulously. “Because that is what we agreed upon. You make it look like this is all somehow _my_ fault...?”

“So, you’ll let me date Tommy,” Merlin’s jaw clenched.

“What the fuck do you want me to say, Merlin?” Arthur said through gritted teeth, inching closer. “ _Let you date-”_ he chuckled humourlessly. “Who am I to let you do anything?”

“I mean nothing to you?” Merlin asked dryly, but in a challenging tone.

Arthur’s heart was thrumming against his rib cages and he was feeling overwhelmed with the situation. “You’re my friend,” Arthur said, with as much sincerity as he could muster.

“Alright, I’ll date Tommy because apparently, you don’t care,” Merlin said, something unreadable in his tone.

“Am I supposed to?” Arthur helplessly asked, throwing his hands up. “I’m leaving.”

“I don’t even know Tommy,” Merlin said, biting his tongue. “He may turn out to be an asshole.”

“Then get to know him, I guess?” Arthur sighed deeply. “Tell me what’s going on here, Merlin.”

“Nothing,” Merlin said, pursing his lips. “I’m just demonstrating how little you care about-”

“Yes, I’ve heard that before.”

“You’ll let him touch me the way you touch me, kiss these lips that you kiss, undress me on this bed the way that you’ve been doing, discover things about me that _even_ you possibly don’t know,” Merlin said, tauntingly.

Arthur bit his lips so hard he was sure he must have drawn blood. He remained quiet.

“You will?” Merlin challengingly asked.

Arthur’s heart trembled as his head conjured up the images of someone else laying their hands on Merlin, making love to him, Merlin moaning out someone else’s name in his fit of pleasure- _no_ , Arthur couldn’t take it. The mere possibility felt like knives being pushed into his heart.

“I cannot,” Arthur said, his voice shaking, balling his fists. Then, more clearly, more loudly, “I will not.”

“And why is that?” Merlin asked him tenderly, taking a step towards Arthur.

“Because _I bloody love you_ , you absolute idiot!” Arthur screamed, burying his head in his palms. “Because I love you so fucking much that I can’t breathe with the thought of you belonging to someone that isn’t me. It is too painful, Merlin, I’m sorry, I-”

Cutting Arthur off, Merlin wrapped his lips around Arthur’s pink ones aggressively, sucking the breath out of the dishevelled, emotionally torn blonde. “Then, why couldn’t you say it earlier?” Merlin smiled, cupping Arthur’s face. “You are the only one I love, Arthur. I don’t want to be with any other person.”

“You do?” Arthur stupidly asked, everything happening too fast.

“Yes, wasn’t it obvious?” Merlin asked, rolling his eyes.

“No?” Arthur said. “You always made it so clear that whatever we share is the most unserious fling _ever_.”

“Because you made me feel so,” Merlin said, pouting sadly. “I was so sure that you weren’t into me and saying that I liked you and then getting rejected would break my heart into pieces that I always-”

“Exaggerated,” Arthur finished, chuckling. “Merlin, you have no idea how fucking happy you just made me.”

“I’m sorry,” Merlin whispered. “About the whole Tommy thing. I just-”

“It is alright, love,” Arthur said, and Merlin may have swooned at the little address of endearment, but he isn’t going to say that. “But what about your father?”

“My father will have to manage,” Merlin said, his usual sass back in his tone. “He will have an issue with anyone I bring home, honestly. So, who gives a fuck.”

“Plus, they’ll love me,” Arthur winked, snaking his arms around Merlin’s waist.

“You’re a stuck up ass,” Merlin said, crinkling his nose. “But I’m sure they will."

**Author's Note:**

> leave a prompt at [tumblr](https://yourstrulyhenry.tumblr.com) if you want, anytime!


End file.
